First Time Disneyland Trip this April!

[Dulcee]

Hi Disneyland Pros!
I reached out a few months ago and you all were SO helpful — thank you! I got sidetracked planning our holiday trip to Disney World, and now our first ever Disneyland trip is sneaking up on me. I would LOVE any thoughts, tweaks, or suggestions you might have!

Travel Party

• 2 adults
• 3 kids (11, 7, 5)
• We’re Disney World pros
• All the kids are adrenaline junkies
• None of us have ever been to Disneyland!

Monday, April 14

• Flying in from the East Coast
• Landing at SNA around 2:00 PM
• Picking up rental car
• Tentatively planning to drive to Newport Beach / Balboa Pier so the kids can run off energy + grab an early dinner
• Then heading to Anaheim

We’re staying at DoubleTree Suites on South Harbor Blvd (traveling for my work conference).
Hoping to be in bed by 7:30/8:00 PM because of the time change

Wednesday, April 15 – Disneyland

Plan:

• Walk to the parks
• Arrive 30–45 minutes before the official opening
• We’ll have Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Thinking:

• Fantasyland first
• Grab LL for Space Mountain or Indy ASAP
• Then Tomorrowland or Frontierland
• Quick service lunch (any must-prioritize QS spots?)
• Adventureland after lunch
• Stack LLs for the evening
• Hotel break around 4 PM (I’ll check in for the conference while everyone rests)
• Back to Disneyland for the evening

Would love QS dinner recs too!

Thursday, April 16 – No Park Day

• Everyone sleeps in (except me conference at 8 AM)
• Storytellers Breakfast at 10 AM
• Kids + dad head to Downtown Disney (Lego shopping!)
• I’m in sessions until 4:30
• Conference-sponsored party with Mark Rober from 5:30–6:30 (kids are SO excited )
• Possibly drive to Seal Beach for dinner after

Friday, April 17 – DCA

• Rope drop
• Head straight to Cars Land
• Start stacking LL including some for evening

After Cars Land… where would you go next?

Plan:

• QS lunch in park (recommendations?)
• Head to conference center so kids can check out expo center
• I have sessions 1:30–3:30
• Pool time or nap break
• Back to DCA around 4:30
• Hopefully World of Color this night!

🎟 Saturday, April 18 – Park Hopper Day

• I have sessions 8–10 AM
• Then joining the family
• Hopper day to hit whatever we’ve missed

We have a tentative Blue Bayou reservation at 3 PM. I keep hearing it’s worth the time — thoughts?

Hoping to catch Paint the Night this evening as well!

Sunday

Leaving hotel around 5:45 AM for a 9:00 AM flight out of LAX back to the East Coast.

 

[China Expat]

Looks fine!

 

[LKing]

We’re staying at DoubleTree Suites on South Harbor Blvd (traveling for my work conference).
Hoping to be in bed by 7:30/8:00 PM because of the time change

What time do you want to be at the hotel? It can take 30-60 min to get from Balboa to your hotel depending on what time you leave. Sounds like the first day is flexible. How early are you planning your early dinner?

• Then Tomorrowland or Frontierland
• Quick service lunch (any must-prioritize QS spots?)
• Adventureland after lunch

Quick service around Frontierland and Adventureland - Bengal BBQ is very popular. You'll want to mobile order earlier in the day. Rancho del Zocalo has plenty of seating and might be a good option. Golden Horseshoe and Stage Door are basic park food (ex. chicken tenders). You can bring food from other places into Golden Horseshoe. It is a good place to go if you need air conditioning or if it is raining outside. If the bottom is full, walk upstairs. If your kids are adventurous, maybe Tiana's Palace.

After Cars Land… where would you go next?

Depends on how much time you spend in Cars Land. If you are just walking through to do RSR, I would go to Pixar Pier and do Incredicoaster and Midway Mania before they get crowded. If you are going to spend time in Cars Land, check out the stores, go on Luigi and Maters, etc., I would grab LL for Guardians, Incredicoaster and Midway Mania. For Monsters Inc, ask for a buddy pass. It is like single rider but you go in groups of one or two.

• QS lunch in park (recommendations?)

You'll be there during the Food & Wine Festival. I would look at the restaurants in San Fransokyo or Paradise Gardens & Boardwalk Pizza. Both have lots of seating but it can be crowded from approximately 11:30-2. Mobile order. Have one person looking for a table while the other is picking up food. Pyms might be fun. Again, one person needs to look for seating while the other is ordering food.

We have a tentative Blue Bayou reservation at 3 PM. I keep hearing it’s worth the time — thoughts?

For some people this makes their trip. Personally, I don't think it is worth the price. If you aren't sitting waterside or close to the water, it feels like any other restaurant. I think it will be a nice 3 pm break in your day. Only you can tell if the menu and cost is worth it.

Sounds like a great trip!

 

[Kit Jackson]

The plans looks good to me. If you weren't already going to, I would suggest going back to CarsLand at night after the sun sets just to see it all light up with the neon. It's worth it.

 

[twodogs]

Do you have a special ticket that only allows park hopping on one day? Usually multi-day tickets are all PH or no PH.